Drop-down breech-loading small-arm.



L B, TAYLOR. DROP-DOWN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1915.

1,170,363. Patnted Feb. 1, 1916.

Mfinasses Inventor 7 ZasZaeB.

LESLIE B. TAYLOR, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

DROP-DOWN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 7, 1915. Serial No. 19,787.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE BowN TAYLOR, a subject of the King of Great Britain, re siding at Grange Road, Bournbrook, Bir mingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop- Down Breech-Loading Small-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of the improvements, hereinafter described, in. drop-down breech loading small arms, the said improvements having for their principal object to obtain a more effective operation of the hammers in all gun constructions and particularly to obtain greater efficiency in guns of the over and under barrel type.

It is, also, an object of the invention to render practical the construction of an over and under barrel type of gun with detachable lock carrying plates.

According to my invention, I combine with a gun, having a detachable lock carrying plate or plates arranged in a recess or re cesses in the underside of the body of the gun, a supplementary pivoted hammer or striker, or hammers or strikers, which act with more efiiciency than the loose striking pins which are sometimes employed where the locks and hammers are arranged out of the plane of the axis or axes of the barrels of the gun.

As far as I am aware, the provision of supplementary pivoted hammers or strikers, interposed between the cartridge and hammer proper of a gun, has never been porposed or provided, and especially, such supplementary hammers as are operated upon by the main or primary hammer arranged out'of the plane of the axis of the barrel of the gun.

Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing represent partly in side elevation and partly in section so much of the body and lock mechanism of a gun of the over and under barrel type as is necessary for the understanding of my invention, the said views being taken at opposite sides of the gun. Fig. 3 represents partly in cross section and partly in back elevation the body of the gun and supplementary hammers.

4 Figs. 4; and 5 represent side and edge views of the two supplementary hammers of the gun detached. Figs. 6 and 7 represent in side elevation and plan, respectively, of one of the detachable side plates with the lock mechanism thereon. represents partly in cross section and partly in back elevation the arrangement of my invention applied to a single barrel gun, and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken in a plane indicated by the dotted line 9 9 Fig. 8.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.

(4 (Figs. 6 and 7) is one of the detachable side plates which carries the whole of the lock mechanism at one side of the body, (excepting the supplementary hammer or pivoted striker), the main or primary hammer Z), hammer lifter or cocking piece 0 and sear (Z being arranged on pins (6, a and a respectively projecting from the plate a. The top flange a of the plate a retains the mainspring e in place as is usual.

In the application of my invention to a double barrel gun of the over and under type I employ two supplementary hammers or pivoted strikers f, g respectively. I prefer to arrange the supplementary hammer or pivoted striker f (shown detached in Fig. 4) for the lower or under barrel on a horizontal pivot pin it so as to depend therefrom, and have the nose or striker proper f of the said supplementary hammer 7 occupying the hole 7; in the bodyof the gun which is coincident with the under barrel. The supplementary hammer (shown detached in Fig. 5) is pivoted on the horizontal pivot pin k. and extends upward and is inclined with a curve toward the middle of the body of the gun so that the nose or striker proper 9 will enter into and occupy the hole Z in the body coincident with said over barrel of the gun. 7

By the use of the supplementary pivoted hammers in over and under barrel guns a more direct blow on the caps or detonators of cartridges in the firing chambers of the barrels is obtained than when horizontal, vertical or inclined loose strikers are employed.

The position of the discharged-hammers .7), 7) is indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

The supplementary hammers may be pivoted on vertical pins so as to work in horizontal planes and in Figs. 8 and 9 I have represented the body and lock mechanism for a single barrel gun the single horizontally arranged supplementary hammer f being pivoted on the vertical pin 72,

As shown in Fig. 9, the end of the supthe primary hammer b so as to be engaged thereby and transmit the impact or force of gun having a cartridge chamber, "of'pivoted supplementary hammers arranged in the gum-one for each of said barrels, a striking nose carried by and projecting from each hammer and adapted to be extended. into the blow of the primary hammer to the car-""said cartridge chamber in the plane of the tridge, through the medium of the striking nose f with a greater force than the primary hammer would deliver, should the latter directly strike the cartridge or be positioned to engage the hammer f directly behind the striking nose f. In the present instance, the distance between the pivot h and the point of engagement of the primary hammer b with the supplementary hammer f is twice the distance of that between the pivot h and the striking nose f, the result being that the impact delivered to the cartridge by the striking nose f is twice as great as that delivered by the primary hammer 1) upon the free extremity of the supplementary hammer f. It is to be understood that this principle may be applied to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 as well as when the supplementary hammer moves in a horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 9.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that applicant has provided means which will eliminate the use of the loose striking or firing pins where the primary hammer is not in line with the axis of the barrel and which will permit the force of such primary hammers to be delivered in a straight and direct line to the cartridge instead of the inclined or slanting blow heretofore delivered by loose strinking or firing pins. It

will also be obvious that the present inven-' bination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to that fall within the legitimate scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an over and under barrel small arm, the combination with the frame of a axis'of 'said barrels, a pair of detachable lock plates, and primary hammers carried by said plates for engaging with and actuating said supplementary hammers and arranged out of the plane of the axes of said barrels, whereby said primary hammers strike the supplementary hammers .to one side of said striking nose, said supplementary hammers having a free pivotal movement.

2. In small arms, the combination with the frame of a gun having a cartridge chamber, a supplementary hammer having one end pivoted to said frame, a striking nose carried by said hammer and adapted to be extended into said cartridge chamber, a primary hammer arranged out of alinement with said striking nose and adapted to engage with said supplementary hammer when released from cock position and thereby effect the discharge of the cartridge in said cartridge chamber.

3. In small arms, the combination with the frame of a gun having a cartridge chamber, of a supplementary hammer having one end pivoted to said frame, a striking nose projecting from said hammer at a point intermediate its ends and adapted to be extended into said cartridge chamber, a primary hammer carried by said frame and arranged to engage with said supplementary hammer at apoint between said striking nose and the free extremity thereof when released from cocked position, whereby the discharge in said cartridge chamber is effected.

4. In a double barreled small arm, the combination with the frame of the gun having cartridge chambers, of pivoted supplemental hammers arranged in-said frame, one for each of said barrels, a pair of detachable lock plates, and primary hammers carried by said lock plates for actuating saidsupplemental hammers and arranged out of the plane of the barrels with which the respective supplemental hammers are in connection.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit-1 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

